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French Animation: A very pretty picture

If anyone is going to give Pixar a run for their money, it’s French animators.

Of course, everyone knows and loves Les Triplettes de Belleville, the French, Belgian and Québecois collaboration feature film that was nominated for 2 Oscars in 2003 .

Two shorter, more recent, no-to-be-missed animations are: French Roast, which won SIGGRAPH’s Best in Show award in August 2009, and Oktapodi, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2009 after winning the SIGGRAPH Best in Show award in 2008.

French Roast

Prior to French Roast, Fabrice Joubert did animation work for features like Wallace & Gromit and the Prince of Egypt.

Oktapodi

And prior to Oktapodi, the animation team was sitting behind desks and raising their hands to answer questions. That’s right, 20-something-year-old French students from Les Gobelins school of image arts went up against Pixar. I’m sure Pixar liked that.

Wondering what Gobelins students got up to in 2009? Check out their projects here (click on the blue eye icon to watch the film).

Save money- make a movie.

The French government helps fund locally-produced animation. The Crédit d’Impôt Audiovisuel (Audiovisual tax credit) will finance up to 20% of certain eligible production expenses, within the limit of €1200/minute for animation (€1150/minute for documentaries/fiction features).

Up next in French animation

French companies Method Animation and MK2 are said to be collaborating with Inidian DQ Entertainment, who recently acquired the animation rights to Charlie Chaplin.